Cambiamento climatico e transizione energetica

The world as we know it is confronted to its own limits; the pressures on the environment and on energy resources are rising exponentially, and the repeated environmental, economic and social crisis are reinforced by the impacts of climate change. Our current consumption and production patterns generate imbalances that cannot be sustained on the long term.

In this context, European companies often innovate and set good examples for energy efficiency measures and “green” management. In the last decades, many energy saving measures have been introduced in the business sector, for considerations that are mostly legal and financial. Those positive approaches are in line with management schemes such as ISO 14001, ISO 26000 and EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme).

How can that make a change in citizens’ behaviour? Many citizens in Europe work in companies that have already implemented efficient and inspiring environmental measures. When economic decisions are in line with environmental aspects, there is a potential for win-win benefits that should be enhanced. For example, if a company promotes among their staff the use of bikes and public transport when commuting to work, they will reduce the need for parking lots and save on space and money. If such an approach comes along other incentives such as, for example, a free or subsidised public transport pass, employees will use car less often on their way to work, also making substantial energy and financial savings.

A growing number of companies have in this context promoted the active participation of employees in environmental projects, e.g. with initiatives like an “environmental project of the month”. Employees can thus be informed through their employer about the benefits of energy efficient measures and behaviours that they can apply at home.

Linking home life and working life for energy transition

We are all aware that companies in the private sector, in which most European citizens work, have a profit-making objective. However, due to regulations, marketing purposes, etc., these companies have now to follow a more holistic approach, also taking environmental and social issues into account. They have to balance economic objectives with other aspects, in particular the needs to mitigate climate change and promote the energy transition.

Climate related issues figure amongst the biggest challenges we must face today. As scientific evidences demonstrate, increase in temperatures and its related effects (such as sea level rise, extreme climatic events or ocean acidification) have been accelerating in the last decades, with dramatic consequences not only for the environment but also in all aspects of our life. These consequences could rapidly become irreversible.

The fifth report of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in 2014 and 2015, reaffirmed the anthropogenic origin of the phenomena, which is directly related to our greenhouse gases emissions. These emissions are not only the product of big companies, countries or Industries; they are first of all related to our production and consumption patterns and to energy systems that are heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

To deal with this issue, international negotiations have occurred within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for more than two decades. However and despite increasing evidences, one must admit that things are far from moving towards the right direction. During COP21 (21st Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC) in Paris, the first universal agreement on climate was adopted. The international community agreed on the objective to limit global warming well below 2°C by 2100, and make the best efforts to limit it within 1.5°C. A 2°C target means, concretely, that we should leave at least 2/3 of current fossil fuels reserves underground.

This would require drastic changes which cannot only be based on technological solutions, whether it is for renewable energy or energy efficiency. To fulfil the climate objective, comprehensive and in-depth behaviours changes are necessary at the individual level. While European citizens feel more and more concerned about climate change, their actions remain too scarce and not many can link this issue to the energy transition.

To act and change, European citizens therefore need first to be conscious of their own energy/carbon footprint and to have a clear picture of the changes they can take. They also need to be aware that these changes are critical to facing climate change effectively and that the transition also brings opportunities for employment, economic and social development, etc., eventually building-up more resilient and fair societies.

Citizens-driven circular economy in buildings

In opposition to a linear approach (where we extract, produce, use and throw away) we should rethink our economy in a circular way, where we take into account the biological cycle of materials and also the technical cycle. The biological cycle is the one of materials that can be composted. The technical loop is the cycle where the materials are reused into the producing process.

We have to evolve from a « throw away and replace » to a « repair, return and renew, disassemble and regenerate » culture. How do we translate this to the building sector? The building sector is producing a large amount of waste and material use, and is one of the main source of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. Using waste as resources but also limiting the amount of waste generated are the guiding principles, with the following objectives:

Lengthening the buildings’ lifecycle as long as possible. This involves good maintenance, repair, monitoring and renovation of the building;

Designing for deconstruction: anticipating the demolition phase of building elements for later reuse (new joining techniques, appropriate tools….);

Designing for “reversibility”: ensuring the ability of a building to be adapted without the need of heavy renovations;

Dismantling properly: ensuring that materials can be reused by a well organised dismantling process;

Implementing measures to improve general waste management on site;

In situ re-employment principles: reuse the material or the element somewhere else, within the building site or nearby;

Making a rational use of resources and energy.

As many works in buildings are done by owners themselves (Do It Yourself – DIY), the purpose of this focus subject will be to show citizens how they can apply these circular economy principles at their own level. This will eventually lead to save on embedded energy in new materials and on energy used to treat waste properly.

Citizens involvement in energy policies

Energy public policies have not been able to fully involved citizens. Discussions on this topic have mostly been limited to a narrow circle of national and European institutions, experts and a small number of interested civil society organizations (CSOs). Still, one of the basic characteristics of modern democracies is a developed and empowered civil society, capable of carrying key messages and influence decision makers.

The active role of citizens on one hand, and openness and transparency of public institutions on the other, lead to open dialogue, cooperation and partnership. Sustainability of this cooperation and of the overall societal development is also linked to the respect for human rights and equal participation of women and men.

Since January 2003, the European Commission has thus been applying the “General principles and minimum standards for consultation of interested parties by the Commission” act. “Starting the consultation at an early stage in the legislative procedure helps to improve the effectiveness of policies whilst reinforcing the involvement of interested parties and the general public.”

The specific role of CSOs is also defined – “Civil society organisations act as relays between citizens and the European institutions, thus encouraging policy dialogue and the active participation of citizens in achieving the aims of the European Union.” Another important document is the code of good practice for civil participation in the decision-making process which was supported by the Committee of Ministers in a Declaration in which it “recognises the importance of the Code of Good Practice as a reference document for the Council of Europe, and as a basis for the empowerment of citizens to be involved in conducting public affairs in European countries”.

Since then, the public consultation process has been reinforced with the aim to involve all stakeholders. It allows to gather information about their issues, opinions and recommendations, to better design policies to the needs of the population and to improve acceptance. It raises the level of understanding of the policies’ goals, but also help to anticipate the weaknesses and potential negative impacts of a public policy that would ultimately need to be abandoned.

The energy transition in rural areas

According to europarl.europa.eu website, predominantly rural areas are home to around 112 million people in the EU (European Union) and represents over half of the 28 Member States’ territories. Agriculture and food industry account for 6% of the EU’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product), with 15 million companies and 46 million jobs.

Whereas considerable opportunities exist in rural areas for renewable energy development, most companies and citizens still use traditional processes based on fossil fuels, especially coal and oil. The housing stock is often older than average and more widely spred than in cities, and as such tend to be less energy efficient and more expensive to maintain. On the good side, the potential for energy refurbishment is important and could be a tremendous local source of job opportunities.

During C4ET’s first phase of activities, a state of the art and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis were conducted to better define the profile of rural areas. Among the strengths were found the strong availability of renewable energy resources (wind, sun, hydro, and biomass), and the existence of numerous best practices that could easily be scaled up. On the other hand, the lack of information and informal training opportunities as well as the massive use of fossil fuels were identified as weaknesses. The facts that rural areas are more vulnerable to climate change and that housing are less energy efficient were also enhanced. Finally a high level of unemployment exist but it also means that the energy transition could serve as a lever to generate new economic opportunities.

Influence companies to adopt eco-friendly policies

“Most Europeans think that citizens themselves should take the lead role in influencing the actions of companies, through the purchasing decisions they make, followed by company management (40%) and public authorities (36%)”, according to Eurobarometer.

Citizens play a key role in the energy transition, first of all as direct consumers of energy but also of products with more or less embedded energy. Most citizens are also part of groups and companies in which they can enhance the transition not only by adopting sustainable behaviours but also by influencing the decisions and habits of the group as a whole.

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is now widely promoted in companies. According to a study led by Trebag, leader of this focus subject, in Hungary with 44 companies, 41% of the interviewees told that they do use CSR in a conscious way. However, there is no evidence that their knowledge on energy and environmental issues is sufficient for them to move towards sustainable production patterns

Within this focus subject, we will therefore emphasise the role of citizens as ambassadors of the energy transition towards companies. The purpose is specifically to show how citizens’ and employees’ behaviours (at work but also through consumers patterns and even through lobbying) can influence the decisions and orientations taken by management team.

The materials developped will empower citizens, giving them the necessary methods and supportive materials to take up this role of ambassador. Thanks to the tools at their disposal, citizens will become more aware of the opportunities they have to act but also to influence the actions of their companies regarding environmental and energy issues.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This website reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.